Chef de partie jobs involve chefs responsible for one particular task or food preparation station in a professional kitchen. Chef de partie is a French culinary term whose definition means “line cook” or “station chef.” Make note that we specified a professional kitchen: a chef de partie works in a kitchen large enough to require or benefit from breaking down and organizing tasks or types of food preparation into stations or areas.

Chef de Partie Jobs and Position Titles

The following are some of the possible chef de partie jobs, by title, in a professional kitchen. We’ve listed the corresponding French culinary terms in parentheses.

Pastry Chef (or Pâtissier): Job includes making desserts, pastries, breads and other baked goods. The pâtissier often manages a team of specialized pastry chefs — especially in larger professional kitchens — who each focus on a specific subset of tasks or type of dessert item (a few examples are listed below). Given the broad range of baking and pastry arts techniques and skill-sets, which is reflected in the multitude of different desserts and baked goods that fall under the job description of a pastry chef, this cooking and food preparation station is the most likely to have its own separate kitchen.

Baker (or Boulanger): Tasks include making breads, viennoiseries, breakfast pastries, and cakes. Works under the pastry chef in large professional kitchens.

Cold Dessert Chef (or Glacier): Responsible for preparing cold and frozen desserts. Works on a team managed by the head pâtissier.

Sauté Chef (or Saucier): Prepares sauces and sautéed foods and dishes. The saucier is normally considered to be the top chef or highest position in a station kitchen.

Butcher (or Boucher): Primarily butchers meats and poultry and is also responsible for breading these food items. The butcher may sometimes also work with fish (though this task is usually that of the poissonier).

Fish Chef (or Poissonier): As the title indicates, the poissonier is charged with preparing seafood dishes (both fish and shellfish), from butchering the fish to making the sauce, if the dish calls for one.

Entrée Chef (or Entremetier): Serves as the combined position of the potager and legumier in less specialized kitchens and is therefore responsible for both vegetable items and soups. Generally prepares dishes which do not involve meat, poultry or fish as ingredients, though is tasked with making egg dishes.

Soup Chef (or Potager)): Prepares all soups and stocks. Often works with and assists the saucier.

Vegetable Chef (or Legumier): Position responsible for preparing vegetables and starches, such as pasta and potatoes.

Pantry Chef (or Garde Manger): Primary responsibilities of this chef include preparation of cold foods, such as salads, charcuterie, terrines, and pâté, as well as other cold appetizers and hors d’oeuvres.

Roasting Chef (or Rotisseur): Tasks include roasting and braising food items. Also responsible for preparing the stuffing for dressed meats.

Grilling Chef (or Grillardin): Cook who prepares foods which are grilled or broiled.

Fry Chef (or Friturier): In charge of the preparation of fried food items.

Roundsman (or Tournan): This title refers to the swing cook, a chef who fills in where help is needed at any given station in a professional kitchen.